PIB Delhi – A fabrication lab for Li-ion batteries will soon be set up in Bangalore in an attempt to boost up-scaling and commercialisation of the technology. International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an Autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India and Nsure Reliable Power Solutions., Bengaluru signed an agreement for technical know-how transfer and training of personnel to set up the Li-ion battery fabrication lab on November 25, 2021. The transfer of know-how will be based on the expertise developed in establishing Li-ion battery process and its successful demonstration in electric scooters and solar street lamps by the Centre for Automotive Energy Materials, ARCI under the Technical Research Centre on Alternative Energy Materials and Systems, in line with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ or ‘Self-Reliant India Mission’.
Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Governing Council, ARCI, said that the partnership between ARCI and Nsure Reliable Power Solutions is an important milestone to address challenges associated with climate change and carbon footprints. He emphasised the need of indigenous technology development for sustenance and highlighted the importance of partnership between R&D labs and Industries to take technologies to higher TRLs. He also stressed upon the need for competent human resources, multiple formats to leverage complementary resources of stakeholders in innovation ecosystem and government support for technology upscaling and commercialisation. He said that ARCI-Nsure agreement can be a role model for how such an ecosystem can evolve in the country.
“R&D labs like ARCI should look beyond lithium-ion battery technology and develop technologies involving other alternative energy materials,” Dr. G. Sundararajan, former Director ARCI, emphasised. “Cost of electrode materials contributes significantly towards the overall cost of LiBs, and as India is heavily dependent on import of these materials, it has become essential to indigenously develop a technology and support industrial organisations in LIB technology,” Dr. Tata Narasinga Rao, Director, ARCI pointed out. Dr. R. Gopalan, Regional Director, ARCI-Chennai., briefed about the efforts of DST and ARCI in setting up technical research centre on alternative energy materials and systems, especially the Li-ion battery technology for electric vehicles and energy storage solutions and said that this technical know-how transfer is a major milestone at ARCI towards “Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”.
Dr. R. Prakash, Head, Centre for Automotive Energy Materials, gave an overview of the Lithium-ion battery technology and work accomplished by ARCI at its Chennai Centre. Dr. John Albert, CTO of Nsure Reliable Power Solutions, highlighted the need of industry-academia relations for bridging the wide gap between the international and Indian scenario in the Li-ion cell manufacturing technology and said that in this context, ARCI-Nsure partnership shall play a crucial role. Dr. S.K. Varshney and Dr. R.K. Joshi from DST, Dr. Sanjay Bhardwaj, Head, Technology Transfer, ARCI, and Mr. Chandrakanth and Mr. Suryakanth, Directors, Mr. Ramachandra, Business advisor Nsure Reliable Power Solutions participated in the programme.
